The present disclosure relates to a tracheal tube, and more particularly to a tracheal tube having a connector insert for securing a cannula to the connector.
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
A wide range of applications exist for artificial ventilation that may call for the use of tubes that are inserted into a patient. Such tubes may include endotracheal tubes, tracheostomy tubes, and so forth. In the former case, the tubes are typically inserted through the mouth and into the trachea. In the latter, the tubes are often inserted into an opening formed in the neck and trachea of the patient. In both cases, the tubes may be used for artificial ventilation or for assisting patient ventilation. They are typically designed to interface with standard connectors that are located at the end of a ventilation hose assembly which itself may be connected to a ventilator.
Current designs for such tubes may allow for easy connection to an upper connector, but may have various structures, some quite complex, for conveying air between the connector and a cannula that extends into the patient. In some cases, a soft plastic or rubber is used for the connector, providing a seal with the interfacing ventilation assembly. Moreover, difficulties exist in the mounting of the cannula in such devices, which must interface with the connector portion to provide the desired airflow path. The sizes of such cannulas may vary substantially, depending upon the anatomy of the patient, the age of a patient, and so forth. For example, the inner diameter of cannulas for pediatric and neonatal patients may vary between 2.5 mm and 6.5 mm. Larger sizes may be provided, but it would be desirable to have a uniform system of attachment between the cannula and the connector independent of the size. In addition, because the interface between the cannula and the connector involves a compression fit, the relatively softer cannula may break or split under certain types of stresses.